Beyond The Cold
by Not So Eloquent
Summary: 60 years ago, Pitch defeated the 'Guardians of childhood' and put an end to their cheer. Now, Earth is a land where adults and children alike fear the bogeyman. The responsibility has passed to four special teenagers to restore dreams, hope, memories and wonder to the world and rise up as the new Guardians. But can they co-operate with Eliza Stag, the stubborn guardian of fun?
1. Chapter 1

/_ I couldn't have done this. _/** = Eliza's thoughts.**

/ ****We can talk like this. ****/** = Noir's thoughts.**

_Laetatio, Lumen, Candidus_**_. _****= MiM speaking (?)**

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><p>Salted blue waves licked Eliza's ankles, nipping her skin with cold as it etched its way up her lower leg. Her foot was numb with the coldness of the water, but she didn't really notice. Her pale arms were outstretched over the warm sunny sand, her chocolate (flecked with vanilla) hair sprawled behind her. A simple yellow dress hung on her slender figure, cutting off just below her knees. Either side of a sprinkle of freckles that adorned her little nose were two well positioned emerald eyes, bright with youth.<p>

Eliza smiled as her eyes traced the white puffs suspended in the sky. The clouds looked like all sorts of little objects. There was a UFO and a flower. She could also make out a fish, a snowman and a crescent moon… or at least that's what she liked to think they looked like. There was also a puffy candle and a fluffy tent in the sky. Eliza came down to this hidden beach almost everyday to relax from the responsibilities of life, and on most occasions she cloud watched.

The beach was rather small only about 50 metres long and maybe 40 metres wide. A sheer cliff cut up by the edge of the sand, the only known way in or out of there. On one edge there was a pile of oddly placed rocks, but she didn't question them. On the cliff, little hand holds and foot holds supported anyone coming or leaving, but it wasn't like anyone came there other than Elza.

It was getting dark and late, and Mark, Eliza's dad, would be serving up dinner soon. Reluctantly, Eliza dragged herself from the comfort of the sand and sea, and up the silver cliff. Although the stone was freezing in comparison with the sand, she didn't complain, and slowly pulled herself up the cliff. As she reached the top, she grasped for tufts of grass to help her get onto the meadow. After much effort, she swung her legs onto the grass and ran home, the wind causing her dark hair to whip her face. She didn't care.

Her house wasn't the kind of home most kids her age lived in. In the city, formerly know as Hartland (in the UK) but now known as Jotture, they lived in houses and flats on land, quivering in fear that the government would do something to them. The children when to school until they came of sixteen years of age, of when they got shipped off to work. Eliza lived on the coast, a half an hour horse ride from the city, and her house was suspended above the water by strong wooden beams. It was far enough away for the government to ignore them, but close enough to go into town for essential supplies. It also meant she didn't need to go to school and, although she was only fourteen, she wouldn't have to leave to work. She could just go fishing like her Dad.

Opening the creaky wooden door, she was greeted with a somewhat exotic smell. It annoyed her that she couldn't identify it, but she couldn't deny it smelt divine. Eliza's stomach rumbled like thunder. She padded over to her dad in the small kitchen, who was cooking some meat in a red-brown sauce. It looked kind of weird. the was also preparing rice.

"Chicken curry," he said, mixing the food.

"What?"

"Chicken curry. Picked up the recipe in town today along with the chicken. Smells great, right?"

She nodded at him, taking an audible whiff of it. Eliza looked like a younger female Mark, except his mop was completely brown, and he had a rough scruff of beard clinging to his chin.

She left the kitchen to set the table. Setting it didn't take long, since there was only two people in the family. There used to be four. Her mother Riley died when she was six. Riley Stag had been trading fish in town when a bunch of government goonies snatched her up. She was reported missing and presumed dead. Eliza also had an older brother - Damien Stag. The had moved out to work for the government so the could infiltrate their security and either find or get revenge for their mother. That was two years ago, and the had stopped sending letters six months post joining. Since then, Eliza and her dad fended for themselves in what ever way they could.

Soon dinner was served. Mark dug in, while Eliza was more than a little skeptical. She didn't doubt her dad's cooking or the smell, but she could never be sure. Skewering one with her fork, she slowly elevated it into her mouth. That evening she decided that curry was the best thing since her dad had brought home new clothes for the family. When Damien was still around. Shaking the thought out of her head, Eliza devoured the meal, bloated and tired. Both of them stumbled their way to their bedrooms early.

"G'night."

"Night."

When she led down, she started to notice how dark it was. She was used to it being dark. It was like that since the was born. However, according to crazy great grandmama Sophie's stories, it wasn't always that way. There once were guardians, protectors of dreams, memories, hope, wonder and fun. But then the boogeyman, Pitch Black, ripped them apart. The murdered their last believer and with him, she guardians died, vanishing from existence. The last one standing, Jack Frost, was 'dealt with' quickly. Pitch took over Earth, his minions possessing important world leaders. Pitch himself gained a semi-mortal body by possessing the president of the USA. It's been that way for 60 years. Pitch wasn't stupid and had been keeping an eye on the Bennet family for two generations below her, but the got bored and the doesn't bother them anymore, lucky for Eliza.

The darkness creeped towards the young teenager's bed like a pack of hungry wolves. Eliza's heart pounded in her chest, threatening to jump out without warning. She was scared. No, petrified. She was used to general darkness, not the shadows actually coming at her. Was it because she was one of the only children full of the guardians' qualities? No. It was because the ruler of Jotture, a woman called Onyx, was hungry for fear, and it just so happened Eliza was full of fear right now. As the shadows were forming a circle around her, the unexpected happened. Clouds parted and the moon appeared. It was so big, and so bright. It seemed to chase the darkness away. And she wasn't scared anymore. Eliza smiled at the moon (who seemed to smile back) and tucked herself in. She quickly fell asleep, unaware of the moonlight soaking into her skin, and the words whispered into the night.

_Arma, Credite, Leva._

_Tribuo, Nix, __In perpetuum._

_Laetatio, Lumen, Candidus._

_Oyasumi._

**(Translation (Latin and Japanese):**

**_Protect, Believe, Rise._**

**_Gift, Snow, Forever._**

**_Joy, Light, Bright._**

**_Goodnight._)**

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><p>Eliza went about the next day as if nothing that night had ever occurred. happened, assuming it was a dream, except for the nagging sense at the back of her mind that it was real. At the same time of day as usual, she made her way down to the hidden beach. It was slightly colder today, and the wind bit at her cheeks. It was too cloudy to cloud watch, so she decided to go exploring instead. On the opposite side of the beach to the odd rocks was meadow that had fallen off of the cliff and formed a pile of meadow.<p>

She sorted through the pile, picking out pretty flowers and making a separate pile for them. Within the pile… she found a stick. It took three hard pulls for the teenager to get the stick out. Now that she looked at it properly, it looked like a staff. It was rather odd to find it there. It didn't look hand made, but it did look suspiciously like a shepherd's staff. It was just the right height for her.

Once again, it started to get dark, so she got up to leave. Suddenly, the odd pile of rocks tumbled away from their usual homes. They had been hiding the entrance/exit of a tunnel. Out stumbled a man, a bit younger than her dad. He made no more than two steps before passing out. Eliza rushed to his side, worried.

The was about 6"4', easily dwarfing Eliza, and had lightly tanned skin. His long, blonde-grey hair was tightly tied into a ponytail, and the had sideburns and a scruff of a beard happening somewhere on his chin. The man was clothed in a cotton shirt which was ripped in multiple place, and dark trousers. On his feet were strong traveling boots. When the collapsed, he had dropped his lance-like wooden staff.

Eliza threw the two staffs up onto the meadow and then, throwing the man over her shoulder, forced her way back up and home. He was surprisingly light for his size. When she arrived home, she dumped the man on the kitchen table and assessed his wounds while calling for her dad. He had multiple deep cuts on his chest, arms, legs, heck, even one on his face! Although her dad was well surprised by this unexpected guest, the helped dress his wounds. Eliza carried him into the spare bedroom for him to rest, and left his staff by his side.

Without warning, a fist sized blue crystal fell out of his pocket and tumbled onto the wooden flooring. As she made contact with the crystal, a sharp coldness filled her hand, then arm, them body. She couldn't let go of the crystal. It seemed to sink into her flesh without an ounce of pain. When the coldness subsided, Eliza prodded the crystal sceptically.

What kind of witchcraft was this?

She quickly ate and went to bed, taking the shepherd's staff with her, in her crystal hand. Eliza didn't notice the wood frosting over. She fell asleep almost instantly.

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><p>"Is she awake?"<p>

"No... do you think she'll be OK?"

"I...I don't know"

Muffled voices floated around Eliza's head. Were they talking about her? She forced herself awake, to be met with a pair of worried eyes, one brown and one blue. Her dad and the man. Why were they worried? And why could she feel a faint breeze against her skin? The two moved out of her sight so she could sit up. She was on the meadow, and the flowers within a two metre radius were frozen. Did she do this?

She looked up at the man, frightened.

"What did you do to me?...And who even are you?"

"I'm Noir Hickory. I'm a traveller and part of a rebellion against the Boogeyman. And I didn't do anything to you."

"Well then Noir, why is your damned crystal in my hand?" She lifted her hand to show her palm. Noir's expression flew through surprised Eliza's eyes were wide with fear.

/ _No._

_I couldn't have._

_I have no magic._

_He did this to me!_ /

"What did you do to me?!"

The man seemed fairly worried… and confused.

"Nothing. How could I do this -" He gestured to the frozen meadow, "- when it's coming from you and I have been out cold since until this morning?"

"Explain this then!" she growled, lifting her hand so they could the the sky blue crystal sticking out of her palm. The man seemed surprised, then happy… then sad, then scared, then ecstatic, then worried, and finally settled on a semi-neutral face. The expressions flew by so quickly that Eliza didn't know what to make of them.

"Mark here said that your name is Eliza… could I ask what your full name is? I don't mean to come off as strange."

"Elizabeth...Elizabeth Stag."

His face stayed the same.

"I guess you picked up my crystal after it fell out of my pocket."

"Yeah."

"Well it's a magic rock."  
>"You don't say."<p>

"It reacts to the one who is worthy of it, and has a guardian item."  
>"Pffft. Me. Worthy- Wait. Guardian item?"<p>

"The only ones I know others have is a leather gauntlet and a feather. A guardian item is a piece of one of the five guardians that have passed: Nicholas St North, Sanderson McSnoozie, Toothina-"

"- E. Aster Bunnymund and Jack Frost. My crazy great grandmama Sophie told me about them. So I have something that Jack Frost owned or part of him?"  
>"Yes. If I remember correctly, the had a blue hoodie, a shepherd's staff and -"<p>

"Eliza brought home a shepherd's staff last night." Her dad cut in, wanting to be involved in this madness so the could understand what the hell was going on. Noir nodded.

"That's your guardian item then. Jack Frost's signature staff. Huh."

Eliza realized she was still sitting, as she got up, the wind lifted into the air. Although her dad feared for her safety, panicking, Noir smiled. That was nothing compared to this kids potential.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" she screamed.

/ _THIS IS SO AWESOME!_ / she screamed in her head.

Eventually, the wind dropped. So, Eliza counted her newfound 'powers' on her fingers; Ice magic, Flight, and 'Fun'. Eliza experimented with her magic in her bedroom which was completely frozen. No wonder they had been worried and had moved her outside where she could only do damage to the poor pretty little flowers. The two men discussed the recent surprise privately, against Eliza's protests. She focused on making a snowflake first to distract herself, while holding her new staff. It seemed rather simple since her powers revolved around snow, but it proved harder than it looked, as they are rather delicate. Eventually, she managed to materialise one. It wasn't the best, but it was her first try. Next, she tried making a frost animal on what was left of her window. Crazy great grandmama Sophie said that Jack Frost had made a frost rabbit for her brother, Jamie, before he disappeared. So she envisioned a mighty and proud stag and frosted her best attempt at one on the window. Then she, with much effort, pulled the creature out of the window. It pranced around of icicles for a few minutes before popping, leaving only snow.

Noir and her dad returned.

"How would you like to go on an adventure?"

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><p>A pair of shadows emerged from the seaside tunnel. They were wolf like, but stood on their hind legs, and were most definitely sentient. Their red eyes glowed fiercely. They were on a hunt, and they had lost their prey. Master would kill them if they did not return with something useful! The sand in front of them showed signs of their target collapsing… and someone else. They sniffed the tracks. The scent was of fresh snow and berries, a very feminine scent, one of a young woman. So, the target was resting nearby, getting help? It looked like she owned a staff, and that to get him out, she carried the two staffs and the man all the way home, leaving a fairly strong scent. Stupid girl.<p>

Let the hunt commence.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: We Believe here :3 Thankyou for reading my story! Really, I feel honoured. :) So have a virtual cookie! (::) Now for explanations that are not in the actual story.<strong>

** When Pitch took over earth, the wanted to make it feel like the dark ages again, so he renamed many of the places. This is why is sounds more fantasy novel like. Bearing that in mind, I'm not used to writing not from 'I' or 'You' POV, but from 'He/She' POV. Yay challenges! Those wolf-shadows were made by Onyx. YES, Onyx is sentient, he/she was only a nightmare horse because Pitch was still fairly low on power (No fear from adults I guess.)**

**Also, I am SO SORRY for not updating anything again. I'm such a horrible person DX. I should really update everything else at somepoint… Ah, Oh well. I've been writing this instead of doing my coursework… oops XD**

**Finnally, if anyone figures out who Noir Hickory really is, I'll give them a sneek peek of the WIP Chapter 2. Clue: He is a CANNON character that wasn't killed/disappeared by the Pitch Black we all know and love ;D**

**Please ask any questions if you're confused, I don't usually bite!**

**Other than that, Review, Fav and follow please! ~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well Done, my only reviewer, Theshapeshifter100! You guessed who Noir was correctly. Here is the full chapter, not just the two paragraphs I showed you. Thankyou for being hooked. Everyone else that follows my stories prefer Jack X Readers, so I am glad someone appreciates my OCs life stories.**

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><p><span><strong>Edit:<strong>** I fixed all the mistakes in this chapter. I type this up usually on Google Docs, and so Google tends to, for some reason, change 'he' to 'the'.**

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><p>Eliza wasn't sure how to react. She could be sad; she would have to leave the one place she had ever really known. She could be happy; she could find out what happened to Damien. She could be surprised; her dad would never let the last of his family leave with a total stranger. She could be scared; she'd be well out of her comfort zone and she'd have to learn to survive. She'd be far away from anything and anyone she knew of. If she stayed, she wouldn't learn more about her powers, and she could lose control. She could hurt her dad if she couldn't control the ice properly. Noir would be able to protect her and guide her powers.<p>

"Uh, sure," Eliza answered, leaning on her frost ridden staff, "When do you plan to leave?"

"Half an hour," Noir replied, "We need to travel as far as we can before sunset."

It surprised her that they had to depart so quickly. It was midday. Nevertheless, she grabbed a backpack from her closet and filled it with things. A family photo; a wood carving of a fish; long lasting food; two medium sized bottles of water; a small blanket. When she had filled the bag to the brim, she carried it into the living room where her dad and Noir were. As she entered, Noir passed him a small white orb, almost like a palm-sized pearl. Light refracted through it, casting rainbows onto their shirts. Eliza didn't ask about it. Adult business, obviously. After she consulted Noir if she picked good possessions to bring, she hugged her dad. Finally, it was time to depart.

Eliza was dressed in a white cotton blouse, a leather jacket, thick brown trousers and the best leather boots Mark could find. She also brought gloves so she didn't need to make unnecessary contact with others. They did not bring horses, as they would draw too much attention. That, and horses couldn't brave the path they were taking. Noir had decided that it was too dangerous to take the well-trodden path which was a direct route to the city, but instead to take the lesser walked path full of overgrown greenery, uneven ground and hazardous holes.

Yay.

At first, Eliza was amazed at the diversity of wildlife here compared to the coastal wildlife she was accustomed to. She hadn't really explored forest environments before. The hardy trees were adorned with glistening emerald leaves that gently danced with the incoming breeze. The chocolate bark was painted with fur, which Eliza later discovered was moss. There hadn't been any noticeable moss nearby her home nor close to the secret beach. As she walked, she found she left frosty footprints, which quickly melted. The sky remained clear, not a cloud in sight. Mischievous roots snagged on the laces of her boots. She quickly learned that although the forest was beautiful, it also presented found that she would find her foot lodged in a odd hole, while Noir seemed to evade them with ease. Her best boots were caked with green-brown dirt that she had kicked up while walking. There was a sort of crispness in the air; she presumed it was due to her new body heat. It took till dusk to get a quarter of the way to the city. The lesser trodden route had given them cover though. But from what?

As dusk approached, Eliza had presumed that they were going to rest; she was tired of travelling. However, they hiked for another three hours before Noir suggested they stopped for the night. The duo took refuge in a small clearing where the bushes hid them from any spying eyes from above. Bright moonlight filtered through the verdant leaves, dappling the ground with silver. The ground, which was very compact and cold, had patches of dying grass. Eliza was grateful for the well needed rest. However, although they had stopped traveling, Noir was showing no signs of fatigue or wanting... no, needing sleep. As much as she wanted to collapse against one of the comfortable appearing tree trunks, she had willingly left the safety of her home to travel with a complete stranger who gave her strange magic powers. Therefore, she would have to heed to his requests.

Sighing, she leant on her staff as to stop her hitting the ground and sleeping. Thinking about the fact she would probably have a nightmare if she slept gave her a newfound motivation to stay awake for as long as possible. She took off her rucksack and rested it against a nearby tree. Noir did the same.

"I need to know how well you can fight" he said, twirling his staff in his hand, "So come at me."

Eliza gave him a questioning look. Shifting her feet, she got into her best fighting stance. Noir made a taunting gesture. Really? Shaking her head she got ready to attack. Darting forward, she swung Jack's staff at Noir, who cleanly blocked it and prodded her in the stomach with the blunt bottom of the staff. Yelping, Eliza hopped back and jumped into the air. The cool wind supported her weight as she soared into the starlit sky, weaving through the odd tree branch. Diving back down, she span as she dodged glowing projectiles somehow appearing in Noir's hands. Feeling for a rough part of the staff for grip, she slammed the frigid shepherd's crook into the ground. Frost curled away from her like ferns. This soon turned to ice.

Noir seemed to only just balance on the ice, although she could stand on it just fine. She materialised crystalline ice skates with intricate designs of deer and stags embellished on them. Although Eliza had never ice skated before, it seemed to come second nature to her. She almost looked like a deer prancing through a field as she flew across the ice towards her target. She swung at Noir again, this time aiming to hook his legs. At the last minute he noticed and evaded the attack. This, however, made him slip and fall. At the last second, with the sweep of her staff, she summoned the wind to push him into the air. While this was happening, she called back the ice and finally freed him from the wind's invisible grip.

He had told her that, although her reaction time was bad, she could probably hold herself off against a nightmare or two. After that, he had taught her different stances and defensive manoeuvres. They did this until Noir could see the exhaustion in Eliza's eyes. The let her sleep. She'd need the energy for tomorrow. Eliza curled up with her back and quickly fell asleep. She wore a peaceful smile. Well, for the most part of her sleep.

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><p>Mark sat at the lonely dining table, turning over the pinkish orb Mr Hickory had given him. It cast little rainbows over him and the sturdy table. His glowing lamplight flickered. Noir's words rang in his head like a tolling bell.<p>

**_Use this as a last resort._**

Noir was obviously a man who ran into danger in a daily basis. Yet, he had given up the last of his family to him so her powers could flourish. Some part of his mind told him that this had been premeditated by Noir beforehand, but the shook that out of his head. Noir was a good man. He could see that despite his dangerous tenancies, he would protect his little snowflake at all costs. After all, she was the only one 'worthy' of carrying the Guardians' legacy. He wouldn't want to lose her, right?

After rolling it around in his hands, he pocketed it and got up from the table. The sound of wood scraping against wood mingled with the sound of paw steps just outside the front door. Mark stiffened. Then he took two large quiet steps backwards to pick up a broken icicle. He could feel the cold bite into his skin and his heart push against his chest. Whoever, whatever was out there was NOT friendly. He could feel it in his belly.

Suddenly the door sprang from its hinges, and landed inches away. The light from the lamp seemed to not reach the two figures hunched at the door. They growled at Mark.

'What the hell are they?' was his only thought as the held his breath. He was scared, no, petrified. He subdued a scream that was rising in his throat. The figures stepped into the room.

They were wolf like, but stood on their hind legs, and were most definitely sentient. Their red eyes glowed fiercely. Mark gulped. They were 'Wers' They DEFINITELY didn't look friendly, and were not impressed to see him in the corner clutching a very large icicle. An icicle? That would mean their prey had already found 'Fun'! Their master would be very mad to discover this.

Their crimson eyes bore into Mark's.

"Where are they?" The one on the left growled. His voice was like nails to a chalkboard, which fitted his physique and appearance quite well. Mark stopped himself from flinching to get into a more defensive and assertive position. His heart painfully rammed his ribs rapidly.

"Who are 'they'?" Mark replied as confidently as he could. The icicle felt slick in his grip. The repositioned his hands.

"You know well who they are. Man and girl. Where are they?" The shadow-like wer on the right growled, its low voice like thunder and lightning. They closed in on Mark.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"THE MAN. THE GIRL. WHERE ARE THEY?!" The wers were losing their temper with him. If this man couldn't tell them where the man and girl were, they would dispose of him and find someone else.

Mark took a swing at the left wer while kicking the right wer in the face. Then he shot left as they struck where he had been standing. Throwing the sturdy table aside as if it was as light as a feather, the left one pounced onto him. It tore as his chest as the struggled under its weight. Luckily, after a few hits to the face, the wer rolled off of his body. His torso was a wreck and he was numb with pain. The struggled to his feet. The felt the orb shift in his pocket.

**_Use this as a last resort._**

This was defiantly the time for a last resort. If he didn't act now, he would die. As the wers closed in on him once more, he threw the orb as hard as he could at the ground. The wers swung their claws a second too late as Mark vanished into a vortex of white. The shards of the orb were nowhere to be seen.

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><p>Eliza woke with a gasp and found tears flowing down her face. That had to have been a dream...right? She also realised that she was hoisted over Noir's shoulder and he was carrying all of their supplies. His broad shoulder was surprisingly comfortable, but she knew she shouldn't take advantage of him. Then it dawned on her. It was still dark...so why were they on the move again?<p>

"Noir," Eliza yawned, suppressing a sob, "Noir what's happening?"

Realising she was awake, Noir put Eliza down and gave her staff and her backpack.

"When you found me, I was badly injured by Wers - nightmare werewolves - and they were not far behind. I fear that they followed my scent to your house and attacked your father. About five minutes ago a beam of white erupted from your house and I heard wers howling. We needed to move, and you would not wake up."

Eliza shuddered. That hadn't been a dream. That had been a vision of what had happened to her dad. This was bad. Very bad. The duo broke into a run as they heard howls get louder and louder as the wers got closer. They ran until Eliza couldn't run leant against a tree to see two terrifying wolf like creatures barrelling towards them.

Eliza threw her rucksack into a nearby ditch and flew out of the way of one of these beasts. It span on its heels and lunged for her again, its sandy black fur glittering in the silent moonlight. She blocked the impact with her staff and sent an ice blast at it. Ice laced its obsidian torso. It was sent a few metres back and soon recovered. Shifting her weight onto the staff, she swung around and kicked the wer in the snout. It screeched in pain, staggering back. However, it soon recovered. It charged once more at Eliza, flooring her. Her blonde-brown hair danced with the dirt as she greeted the earth. She wasn't prepared to defend herself when this wer was so damn fast. It pinned her to the ground, and positioned its gleaming jaws over her vulnerable neck. She felt its hot, stick breath on her neck as its jaws closed in on her throat.

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><p><strong>MWAHAHAHA!<strong>

**Wers inspired by Wers from 'The Gift'**

**Finally, I wrote up another chapter of this! It took a while, but it was well worth the time, although it is not as long as I wanted it to be. It's also more action and less description. Oh well. **

**Please follow favourite and review.**

**Question: If Manny deemed you worthy, what guardian would you get the powers of, why and how would this fit into my little story here?**

**(There will be questions in every chapter from now on. )**


	3. Chapter 3

**I started watching Kill La kill, so after writing this chapter, I rewrote the wer battle a little for extra fight description. Bear in mind I cannot write fights for the death of me, so I consider this quite a feat. :)**

**[Edit]**

**I fixed a couple of obvious mistakes that Theshapeshifter100 pointed out. :)**

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><p>There was a blinding white flash of light, and the hot breath and deadly jaws disappeared from Eliza's neck. Despite being blind for a few seconds due to that flash, she scrambled to her feet. When her sight restored, she could see Noir had somehow launched a wer into a tree with one hand and had shot the wer that had been on top of her a few meters away. Nodding a thanks to him, the wind lifted up below her as her wer lowered its hind legs, ready to pounce.<p>

This time, Eliza was prepared. As the wer launched itself at her, she gracefully span in the air and struck the wer's spine. It screamed like a banshee, its eyes fiery with anger. It snapped its clamp-like jaws at her, its teeth grinding against one another. It lashed out again, but Eliza blocked each of its blows. Growling, it caught her off guard and swiped in from the left. She rocketed into a tree, winding her, and creating a very large dent in that tree. Blood trickled down her brow. The crimson licked her eyebrow as it dripped onto her leather. This exhilaration from fighting was new, nothing like what she'd experienced from Noir; she kinda liked it. Pumped on adrenaline, Eliza pushed herself up again. She wiped the blood from her forehead with a quick swipe of her thumb. Running up towards the nightmare beast, she launched herself into the air with the staff and shot towards the wer. Her boot, enhanced with ice studs, slammed into its snout, drawing clear glassy blood. Hopping to the ground, Eliza span her staff in her hand before slamming it into the battleground. Slick ice formed and sped towards the temporarily grounded beast. Upon reaching the wer, it encased its paws and limbs. It panicked, beginning to flail uselessly. Eliza flew into the air, ready to end this. She landed on the bound wer. She slammed down hard on its head, forming an ice blade on the bottom of the shepherds crook as it drilled through the fur and into the sandy flesh.

It dropped to the floor lifeless as clear blood gushed out of the wound. Eliza turned to Noir. He had finished off his beast in a slightly more brutal way – he had decapitated it. It was surprising that Eliza hadn't noticed Noir and the other Wer fighting. Thick clear wer blood swamped the earth. Eliza let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. Apart from a hefty collection of bruises that they would be soon collating, they appeared like that they had never had that unpleasant encounter. Her legs were shaking... that adrenaline rush was dissipating. This was what her life was going to be like now I guess.

Despite the lack of physical wounds at that moment of time, she felt a sob rise in her throat. That had been utterly terrifying. Awesome...but still terrifying. Eliza was worn out; Her shoulders sagged as she shuffled down the side of their path to collect her backpack. Each breath of bitter cold air pinched at her throat. She wearily leant on her staff which was mindlessly frosting the wide life nearby. Once again, although seeming a little out of breath, Noir seemed strong and ready to move on. Now that they were awake and 'full-ish' of adrenaline, they should make some progress. However, she had taken no more than three steps before the world started spinning. She found herself on the grass up tipping her insides until she was raw, gagging up air. There was this gripping pain in her torso, like a brain freeze but twenty times worse. Was this the consequence of being magical? Tears streamed down her face.

As Eliza curled up into a shaking frost ball, Noir made his way to her. It wasn't unusual for this to happen to a mortal after receiving powers. However, Eliza was taking this better than the others; one caused an earthquake and the other caused mass amnesia in the town she lived in, erasing her existence. Noir wouldn't have been surprised if she had frozen the forest...but just puking up and feeling like utter crap? This was something new for him. He rested a comforting hand on her petite shoulder.

Onyx would have sensed if their Wers were alive or not, so if they wanted any chance of getting away, now was their chance. Eliza seemed to sense Noir's urgency, and somehow managed to get to her feet, though she was hesitant to pick up her staff and as spontaneously as it arrived, the pain left. After cleaning her face up, they picked up their pace. Eliza didn't walk as she would trip up due to not concentrating on where she was stepping. So, she flew/hovered.

Dawn crept on them as they hiked at a very brisk pace through the forest. The verdant leaves rustled as they passed. At a couple of times, small gatherings of animals would investigate them. They seemed to ignore Noir entirely, but only some liked Eliza. Larger animals like deer seemed to approve of her and would allow her to pet them. Owls acted in a similar way too. However, most other animals took one glance at her and took off into the greenery.

Soon the moon set, the sun aglow gold in the morning sky. By then, they had made a reasonable distance; they were about half an hours walk from the huge ugly wall that 'protected' Jotture. To describe it in the most detail: it was big; it was grey; it was thick; it was rather boring looking. It towered above the land, hiding Noir and Eliza in its shadow. They used the shadow as their cover, skimming the trees as they approached the wall.

Now was the seemingly difficult part. They had soon reached the wall. There was only one entrance/exit, and it was heavily flanked by Onyx's men. There was no chance they'd get through them. If they went over the impossibly high wall, they'd get seen by everyone. If they went under it, they'd find that it goes down hundreds of feet underground. Blasting through it would alert everyone of their presence, and some innocent bystanders could get hurt. While Eliza contemplated this, Noir dealt with it. He simply pointed his staff at the wall and muttered a few incantations. A gawping glowing hole appeared, double the size of Noir. Within the walls was a bustling market street oblivious to the hole.

Once the pair had stepped through the hole, it vanished. They hastily made their way through the busy street to find somewhere to recover. Luckily in no time they found a simple hotel. It didn't look to too well kept, but it would do. They booked a room and immediately shot up the stairs like a pair of teenagers, arguing who was going to get dibs on the shower. Who knew Noir had such an immature streak? Eventually, Eliza reigned victorious.

The bathroom was tiny, nevermind the shower cubicle! However, the water was warm and soothed her sores. The wer blood swirled down the plug hole, gone forever. After turning the water off and drying, she applied healing ointment to her brow cut. It stung, but she could live with it. Her wet hair clung to her shoulders. Her rough towel hugged her skin - she had secured it with ice so she wouldn't be flashing anything. Then she exited the bathroom.

Just by chance, at that point a deafening siren went off in West Jotture. It was a loud drone following the words WEST WALL BREACH. They were in West Jotture. Onyx's goonies would arrive soon. They'd be after Noir. Eliza's eyes darted around the dreary room. All of his essentials were still left on the bedside seat, along with Eliza's clothing. No signs of him leaving properly or him getting attacked.

...

Where was Noir?

* * *

><p>Eliza quickly discarded her towel and rapidly clothed herself. While her skin was exposed, her face flushed. If someone were to see her half dressed like that...well, she'd beat them like they were a wer. Now she was in a black tank top that read Let them eat cake, white skinny jeans and grey converses. She dried her hair by manipulating the air. Then she gathered both Noir and her belongings. It was rather heavy, but she could carry them. Then she flew into the air and pressed herself against the ceiling above the door. If someone came in, she could shoot them down before they knew what hit them. The scuffle of guards could be heard from just a few buildings away.<p>

Suddenly the door burst open. Within a few moments, a small balding man entered - the receptionist of this place. The scanned the room, and looked panicked when the couldn't find Eliza or everything they had bought. She was ready to knock him out and flee when Noir ran into the room. It looked like he had washed somewhere else. Once the had entered the room, Eliza flew down and tapped him on the shoulder, holding out his possessions. The receptionist and Noir looked at her with a mix of surprise, annoyance, and happiness.

"Where'd you go?" she inquired.

"I'd ask you the same question," he replied, "I was washing in another room, and when the siren went off, I spoke with Mr Hathaway here and we both legged it here."  
>Eliza pointed to the very lightly frosted ceiling.<p>

"I was just hanging around you know, wondering where the hell were you."

"Hathaway has a passage we can use. It leads to the outskirts of town, where we can meet up with a very old friend of mine."

Eliza nodded. With the mini-panic over, the trio silently slid down the worn staircase, taking care not to fall on the uneven steps. Hathaway led them to a gloomy tunnel hidden behind a set of shelves in the pantry. After profusely thanking the man, they sped down the inky black tunnel.

The cold tunnel had started a head taller than Noir, but the further in they went, the smaller it became until Noir a to noticeably stoop. They remained in darkness for the first hour or so in the black labyrinth. It seemed Noir had brilliant night vision, and so Eliza could only just keep up as he sped down the black paths. Through her trainers, the stone was rough, unforgiving and cold. Her footsteps resonated through the darkness, whereas Noir was light on his feet. The walls were smooth and frozen to the touch, a surprising feat since the cold had never particularly affected her. The dark elongated time. What felt like hours passed before Noir produced a floating orb of light. Her eyes adjusted quickly, scanning her surroundings. When she had entered, the walls had looked pure black, but the light that shed on them now suggested that they were some sort of night blue. It was shiny. The floor looked similar, but perhaps darker. Eliza couldn't tell as the light was fading.

Wait, it was fading?

From the looks of it, Noir seemed confused as well. Then they heard the rush of footsteps in the darkness. Onyx's men! Grabbing Eliza's ice cold hand, he pulled her down passage after passage at a dizzying pace. The rock nicked his arms, and Eliza's face as they rushed ahead. Eliza was covering a section of the passage in slick ice. She paid no heed to her cuts and bruises - if they were caught, they'd be dead! An age seemed to passes as they strived to escape the footsteps of their demise. Then, a light at the end of the tunnel. In the literal sense. It started as a speck, of which Eliza brushed off as her eyes playing tricks. However, as they got closer, it seemed to be a legitimate exit. Eliza could almost jump for joy! Obviously, she wouldn't, otherwise she'd meet the ceiling and a nasty blow to the head.

The sunlight blared down, blinding them momentarily. Then they breathed in their surroundings. They were behind some sort of crappy cafe, and a row of homes. The air was heavy with smoke and pollution. Now Eliza dragged Noir down the alleyway, getting away from the exit of the passageway.

And up ahead loomed the hideaway they were looking for.

* * *

><p><strong>So that's the end of chapter 3! It feels shorter than what I was hoping, but the next few chapters are rather fast paced. After that, there will be a few chapter long chill... no pun intended. <strong>

**So, did you like this new installment of Beyond The Cold? If so please favourite, followed and review. I am open to constructive criticism, and I will chat agaon next chapter. **

**-Not So Eloquent-**


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